1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a power plant for a vehicle, and more specifically to a hybrid power plant with a gas turbine engine.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Heavy vehicles, such as an eighteen wheeler tractor trailer, use a large diesel engine to drive the vehicle because Diesel engines have higher efficiency than a gasoline engine. A vehicle that operates a cruise speed for long periods of time in relation to idle speed or stop-and-go speeds such as a taxi is experienced to needs to have a high efficiency. In the past, engine designers have considered replacing the Diesel engine with a gas turbine engine because both engines have similar efficiencies. However, the gas turbine power output lag is considered unacceptable in the automotive industry.
Another problem with replacing a Diesel engine with a gas turbine engine is that the gas turbine engine is very efficient at its design speed of operation, but very inefficient at low speeds such as that which would operate at idle or lower speeds.